Mechanical football dummy



NOV- 1,3, 1941 J. F. CARBERRY MECHANICAL FOOTBALL DUMMY Fild Feb. 8, 1941 3 Sheets-Sheet l NOV 181 w41 J. F. CARBERRY l MECHANICAL FOOTBALL DUMNY Filed Feb. 8, 1941 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Q/m.w 5555:.

Nov. 18, 1941. J. F. cARBl-:RRY

MECHANICAL FOOTBALL DUMMQX4 Filed Feb. 8, 1941 s sheets-sheet 3 ww f 2; gwn lf. M a@ A A w A# @v A@ A. 4, o ms.. Hm am Q@ m L w. QQN.. l@ www QN wl Le w QN QN. Wk

Patented Nov. 18, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICE MECHANICAL FOOTBALL DUMMY James F.` Carberry, Worcester, Mass.

Application February 8, 1941, Serial No. 378,036

` 1o claims. (cl. 27s-55) This invention relates to an improved dummy for training, drilling, and practicing for football players. At present the dummies used for this purpose are not sufficiently life-like to aord the desired practice in blocking and tackling necessary to sufficiently ground the players in these fundamentals of football.

The principal objects of this invention include the provision of an exceedingly life-like football dummy which may be made to travel at a speed approximating that of a human being; the provision of a dummy having arm and leg movements corresponding to those of a running human; provision of means whereby the dummy, while stationary or in movement may be made to simulate the dodging movement of' a ball carrier when about to be tackled; provision of a dummy which may be knocked to the ground by a football player in the manner resembling that of a human; provision of a dummy which approximates the usual movements of a football player and maybe blocked or tackled; and the provision of a dummy having all of the foregoing attributes and made in a comparatively inexpensive, strong, and easily operable structure.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear hereinafter.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. l'is a side elevation of the entire apparatus with its ground support in section;

Fig. 2 is a detail View of the boom turning means;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of a part of the turning means, looking in the direction of arrow 4 in Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a plan view looking along arrow 5 in Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged View of the left hand end of the boom as seen in Fig. 1;

Fig. 7 is an end view looking in the direction of arrow I in Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a front elevation' of the dummy mechnoted that a comparatively large sized pipe Il) is sunk and fixed about six feet deep into a bed of concrete I2', reinforced by rods I4. The pipe l0 may, if desired, be supported from a floor for indoor practice. Within this pipe, there is another smaller pipe or mast I6 mounted on an end thrust bearing I8 for rotary motion relative to the lpipe I0. Mounted on bracket 20, Welded or otherwise secured to the pipe or mast I6, there is a rod or boom 22 having a dummy 24 mounted at one end and a counterweight 26 at the other end. The boom 22 is restrained from sagging at its end by means of guy-wires 28 secured at appropriate points to the boom and to the top of the mast.

Fixed to the top of pipe I0, there is a large fixed gear 30 extending therearound and mounted between collars 32. the mast It and al handle bar 36 is also fixed thereto at substantially a right angle, so that by pushing on the handlein the direction of the arrow in Fig. 3, the bracket will move in the same direction. Ar shaft 38 is-journaled near the free end of the bracket, and a small pinion 40 is fixed at its other end, while a larger pinion 42 is fixed at its other` end. A third pinion 44 is located to mesh with pinion 42 and a shaft 48 fixed to pinion 44 rises vertically and is journaled adjacent its top in a bracket 48 on mast I6. A cover comprising a shield 50 `fitted over a pair of bracket members 52, one at each side of mast IS, is provided to protect the gearing, and this shield has an aperture 54 to accommodate shaft 46.

At the top of shaft 46, there is an eccentric 5B to which is pivoted a crank element 58 secured to a long rod Sil. When handle bar 36 is moved in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 3, the element 53 moves as shown by the arrow in Fig. 4, thus reciprocating rod E0.

At the left end of the boom as seen in Fig. l. there is an extendingbar 62' pivoted thereto at 64.I A compression spring 66 located between an abutment 68 on bar B2 and a bracket Hl on the boom normally maintains the bar in horizontal position, but if the dummy is tackled and brought to the ground, the spring permits the -bar to pivot down in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 6.

A strap 'l2 is mounted to swing on 'a pin 'I4 at the end of bar 62, and this strap pivotally supports an iron 16 at 18, the iron mounting the dummy. An extending elbow 89 on strap 14 pivotally mounts a bell-crank 82 lto one arm of which the end of rod is pivoted, while the other arm is pivoted to a rod 34. It will be seen that as the mast and attached boom are rotated, rod 84 will be vertically reciprocated, and the pivoting of bar S2, strap 12, and iron i6 will not materially interfere with this action, due to the construction and the length. of rod Sti.

The mechanism of the dummy is shown in Figs. 8 to 11, a metal frame protecting the parts, and a thick body covering over the whole having been omitted from these figures to better illustrate the structure. Rod 84 is pivoted at the center of a lever 86 which is pivotedA at one end to a lateral A bracket 34 is fixed to extension 8l of iron 16. A link 88 is pivoted at the other end of lever 16 and depends to pivotally connect with an end of a lever 90, pivotally mounted on the iron 16 at its center. The other end of lever 90 has a pin and slot connection 92 with a bar 94 at the upper end of which is a slidable rod and compression spring link 96 connected to a crank 98. The crank is secured o in said dummy adapted to move said limbs, an

to a shaft journaled in a bracket |02 which also journals a shaft |04 parallel to shaft |00.

Each shaft mounts an arm |06 whichj pivots on its shaft by means of a strap |01 but may be resiliently secured thereto by means of coil spring |08, so that oscillation of each shaft will swing its arm, but the arms may be hit by the tackler without injury. Brackets ||llr help to support the shafts.

VA crank 2 on shaft |04- transmits the motion of lever 90 to this shaft and the lever is pivoted to a bar and link element ||4 connected thru an adjustable link ||6 and a rod and spring connection ||8 to a leg |20, the latter being pivoted as at 2| toiron 16 at one end spaced from the rod and spring connection to more closely approximate the-human hip joint, as shown in Fig. 11. The other leg of the -dummy is constructed just as described but depends from the bar 94 directly. The legs are covered with a padding |22 yand may curve downwards to resemble a knee and boot, this notbeing shown here.

' A hand lever |24 is pivoted to the mast |6 at element xed to said support, a shaft mounted on said mast, means associated with said shaft adapted to rotate it by contact with said element l upon rotation of said mast, and means connected |26 and has a long rod |28 connected thereto and It will be seen that as the mast is rotated by'r handle bar 36, rod vv60 will reciprocate and thus oscillate the arms and legs of the dummy, whichv therefore moves forwardly and appears to run andI swing its arms and legs. At the same time, the dummy can be dodged transversely to its path of movement and may be brought to the ground without injury to the tackler or to the mechanism. j y

Having thus described my invention and the advantages thereof, I do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, otherwise than as set forth in the claims, but what I claim is:

1. In a football training apparatus, a xed support, a mast rotatable thereon, a boom on the mast, a tackling dummy having movable limbs and suspended from the boom, means adapted to move said limbs in a predetermined sequence, and cooperating'means on the'support and mast effective to actuate said limb moving means upon f rotation of said mast. r

2. In a football training apparatus, the combination of a fixed support, a mast rotatable thereon, a boom on said mast, a dummy having movable limbs suspended from one end of the boom, and means in said dummy adapted to move said limbs; with means on said support and said mast effective to actuate said limb moving means when said mast is rotated, said second named means comprising a rod mounted for reciprocation, a connection between said limbs and said rod, and means to reciprocate said rod.

3. In a football training apparatus, a xed support, a mast rotatably mounted on said support, a boom on said mast, a dummy on said boom, movable limbs on said dummy, mechanism in said dummy adapted'to move said limbs, a shaft mounted on said mast for revolution thereabout and rotatable on its own axis, means on said support adapted to rotate said shaft upon between said shaft and said mechanism adapted to actuate the latter upon rotation of said shaft.

5. In a football training apparatus, a fixed support, a mast rotatably mounted on said sup--` port, a boom on said mast, a dummy on said boom, movable limbs on said dummy, mechanism inr said dummy adapted to move said limbs, a gear xed to said support, a bracket fixed to said mast and mounting a gear meshing with said first named gear, a shaft connected with said second-named gear and mounted on said mast, a crank on said shaft, a rod connected to said crank to be reciprocated thereby, and a connection between said rod and said mechanism whereby the latter is actuated by said rod when the mast is rotated.

6. A football training apparatus, as recited in claim 5 wherein said connection comprises a bellcrank, said rod being connected to one armvthereof, and a link connected to the other arm, said link being pivoted to a lever, said lever comprising a part of said mechanism.

7. A football training apparatus comprising a fixed support, a mast rotatable thereon, a boom on saidfmast, a pivot, a member in extension of said boom mounted on said pivot, a strap pivoted on said extension, an. element pivoted to said strap on an axis at right angles to said pivot, a dummy on said element, and means to rotate said mast.

8. A football training apparatus as recited in claim 7 in which said dummy is provided with movable limbs, and cooperating means on said fixed support and said mast to actuate said limbs, said means deriving motion from the relative rotation of said mast and support.

9. A football training apparatus comprising a fixed support, a mast rotatably mounted thereon, a shaft mounted on said mast for rotation therewith and for rotation on its own axis, means on said support adapted to rotate said shaft as said mast is rotated,'a rod, means on said shaft to reciprocate said rod, a boom on said mast, an element depending from said boom and supporting a dummy, a lever pivoted at one end to said element in said dummy, a connection between said rod and the center of said lever to oscillate the latter, a second lever pivoted at its center to said element, a limb connected to one end of said'second lever, a, shaft in said dummy, a connection between said limb and said shaft to oscillate the latter, and a second limb connecte to said shaft to be oscillated thereby.

l0. In a football training apparatus, a fixed base,'a'support on said base, means to travel said support, a tackling dummy having movable limbs mounted on said support to travel therewith, means adapted to move said limbs in a desired sequence, and cooperating means on said base and support effective to actuate said limb moving means upon relative movement of said support and said base. JAMES F. CARBERRY. 

